That is the consensus of Terracon Consultants, a national engineering company.
Roanoke Rapids Parks and Recreation Director John Simeon said following this evening’s city council, where the information was presented, the pool will remain closed in light of the report. “It unuseable. The process requires us to obtain estimates. It will not be open for the summer.”
Jim Miller, a local engineer who served as the city’s consultant on the project, told council a rough estimate for construction of a new pool at the center is $200,000.
Simeon declined comment on Miller’s initial estimate “until we get professional estimates.”
Council did agree to move forward with getting construction estimates on a new pool before deciding its next step.
The April 12 report by the company said, “Based on our observations, we believe the pool is in a state of deterioration and beyond its useful life.”
The pool is 60-years-old, company engineer Carl F. Bonner noted in the report. “ … The pool is not compliant with current codes and standards. The condition of the pool and circulation/filtration/sanitization systems pose a liability risk to the city. We recommend that the existing pool be demolished and replaced. In addition, the pool piping should be replaced due to its age and the pool equipment is likely past its warranty period and should be replaced with more energy efficient systems.”
Miller told council there were “a lot of cracks” in the pool causing water to seep in as well as groundwater seepage from under the surface. “The extreme pressure on the sidewalls made the cracks worse.”
He said reinforcement rusted causing the concrete to fracture.
Terracon noted in its inspection of the pool the past operational issues, including problems with its pump losing prime. “Holes present in the pool shell allow water to infiltrate into the pool which disturbs the pool chemistry. It was reported that if the pool is pumped dry, approximately two feet of water will infiltrate the pool overnight. The pool deck has exhibited differential movement causing trip hazards. The concrete bond beam around the pool, especially in the vicinity of the skimmers, is cracking and spalling.”
In addition to problems noted from observation and three cores taken, Terracon said also found the following issues:

The main drains did not appear to be Virginia Graeme Baker Act compliant, federal legislation which addresses pool and spa drains

Permanent entry steps compliant with the requirements for public pools were not present

A permanent Americans with Disabilities Act lift was not present per federal law

The condition of the skimmers did not appear to allow them to function properly to maintain the water quality of the pool

“After these items are considered, we believe it would be more beneficial to the city to renovate the aquatic facility replacing the outdated, deteriorating pool with one that better meets the facility’s programming needs. Renovation could include a bigger kiddie pool and splash pad that would attract more people to the facility generating more revenue for the city. In addition, updating the equipment to more energy efficient equipment would add to the costs savings to the city.”
The report comes after city council in March agreed to allocate $300,000 for repairs to the pool.